Commissioning is not testing

Guest:  Paul Turner, chief executive, Institute of Commissioning & Assurance.
Interviewed by: Antony Oliver

In this episode we revisit the subject of project commissioning - a vital, often underestimated stage of infrastructure delivery.

What is commissioning – well in a nutshell it’s the complex process of preparing an asset to operate exactly as intended from day one.

So to be clear, it's not testing!

And to discuss this we are back with Paul Turner, chief executive of the newly renamed Institute of Commissioning & Assurance. This time last year Paul had just launched what was then the Industrial Commissioning Association – ICxA - a Canada-based organisation with a global mission to raise commissioning standards across infrastructure, industrial, and process sectors. Hear all about that in Episode 82.

Since then, it’s expanded rapidly – growing to over 4,300 members, forming 27 local chapters, establishing a Board of Directors, and convening an Advisory Council to guide strategy and outreach. And changed its name – more on that later I’m sure

In its second year, ICxA has moved from advocacy into delivery. It has launched two new global standards – one defining best practice in commissioning, the other focusing on outcome assurance, helping to reduce the all-too-common risks of delayed openings, unexpected failures, and spiralling costs.

On top of that, ICxA has created a commissioning certification framework and a career development pathway to support both current professionals and the next generation of project leaders

So let’s hear more about how the association has matured, and about how these new standards and certifications can transform project outcomes.